Abstract: A tunnel-type digital imaging-based self-checkout system capable of generating and projecting coplanar illumination and imaging planes into a 3D imaging volume within a tunnel structure. The tunnel structure is supported above a package conveyor in a retail POS environment, and employs automatic package identification, profiling and tracking techniques during self-checkout operations.

Abstract: The wireless PDT of the present invention employs a “display-on bottom” design which places the unit perfectly centered in the hand of the operator, allowing for the best possible viewing as well as providing comfortable single-handed operation. The high-resolution LCD display allows the PCT to show sharp, clear bitmap images while supporting all Windows-recognized font types and sizes. With the auto back-lit feature, the brightness adjusts automatically making the screen easy to read in all light conditions. The PDT is designed for support within the download/charger cradle of a base station which interfaces with a host system using either USB or RS232 interface. Two standard ‘AA’ or rechargeable Li-Ion batteries provide more than 100 hours of operation. In addition, the PDT comes standard with 2 MB of RAM providing enough memory to store over 100,000 records.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window, and an area-type image formation and detection subsystem having image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object on an area-type image detection array. The system includes an object presence detection subsystem for automatically detecting an object within the FOV, and generating a first trigger event indicative of automatic object detection within the FOV. The system also includes an object targeting illumination subsystem for generating and projecting a visible targeting illumination beam within the FOV, in response to the generation of the first trigger event signal.

Abstract: A digital image capturing and processing system for installation at a retail POS environment comprising a system housing having an imaging window; and a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems for projecting a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through a 3D imaging volume defined relative to the imaging window, for digital imaging of objects passing through the 3D imaging volume. A globally-deployed object motion detection subsystem automatically detects and analyzes the motion of an object passing through at least a portion of the 3D imaging volume, and generates object motion data in response thereto. Object motion data, including object velocity data, is used to generate control data for controlling the operation of the coplanar illumination and imaging subsystems.

Abstract: An automated tunnel-type scanning system arranged about a conveyor belt structure, including: a tunnel structure arranged about a conveyor belt structure for transporting packages; an omni-directional bar code symbol scanning subsystem; a package detection and dimensioning subsystem; and a data management subsystem. The package detection and dimensioning subsystem captures package measurement information about each detected package prior to the package being scanned by the omni-directional bar code symbol reading subsystem, and producing package measurement data representative of the captured package measurement information.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window. A printed circuit (PC) board is mounted in the hand-supportable housing, and has front and rear surfaces and a light transmission aperture formed centrally therethrough. An image formation and detection subsystem has image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and an area-type image detection array for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object during object illumination and imaging operations. An automatic targeting illumination subsystem is disposed in the hand-supportable housing for projecting a targeting illumination beam into a portion of the FOV extending outside of the hand-supportable housing.

Abstract: A POS-based digital image capturing and processing system for illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing illumination technique. The system comprises an area-type illumination and imaging station for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. The area-type illumination and imaging station includes an illumination subsystem for producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible LEDs, and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs. wherein the first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and are substantially coextensive with the FOV of the image sensing array.

Abstract: A digital image capture and processing system including a housing having an imaging window; and an image formation and detection subsystem supporting a periodic snap shot mode of the operation. The system includes image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through said imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and forming an image of the object on an area-type image detection array having a plurality of rows of image detection elements, and detecting 2D digital images of the object while object illumination and imaging operations. The system also includes an LED-based illumination subsystem, with a LED illumination array, for producing a field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV, and illuminating the object detected in the FOV, so that the illumination reflects off the object and is transmitted back through the light transmission aperture and onto the image detection array to form the 2D digital image of the object.

Abstract: A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system including a hand-supportable housing having an imaging window. A printed circuit (PC) board is mounted in the hand-supportable housing, and has front and rear surfaces and a light transmission aperture formed centrally therethrough. An image formation and detection subsystem has image formation optics for projecting a field of view (FOV) through the imaging window and upon an object within the FOV, and an area-type image detection array for forming and detecting 2D digital images of the object during object illumination and imaging operations. A first FOV folding mirror is supported above the rear surface of the PC board over the light transmission aperture, and a second FOV folding mirror is supported above the rear surface of the PC board and over the area-type image detection array. These mirrors fold and project the FOV through the light transmission aperture and the imaging window.

Abstract: A method of capturing processing digital images of an object, using a hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system having a trigger switch, an imaging window and a field of view (FOV) projected therethrough and onto an area-type image detection array. The method involves automatically detecting an object within the FOV, and generating a first trigger event indicative of automatic object detection within the FOV. In response to the generation of the first trigger event signal, the object targeting illumination subsystem automatically generates and projects a visible targeting illumination beam within the FOV. The human operator aligns the visible targeting illumination beam with the object in the FOV, and then manually actuates the trigger switch to generate a second trigger event signal.

Abstract: A hand-supportable planar laser illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based code symbol reader includes: a hand-supportable housing having light transmission aperture; a linear image formation and detection module having a linear image detection array; and a planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) producing device having at least one visible laser diode (VLD) for producing a planar light illumination beam (PLIB). The code symbol reader further includes image grabber for grabbing digital linear images formed and detected by the image formation and detection module, an image data buffer for buffering the digital linear images grabbed by the image grabber and constructing a two-dimensional image from a series of buffered linear digital images, and an image processing computer for processing the buffered two-dimensional digital image so as to read code symbols graphically represented in the two-dimensional digital linear image.

Abstract: Digital image capturing and processing network for use in a retail POS environment, comprising a plurality of digital image capturing systems, and a remote image processing server. Each digital image capturing system is installed at a POS station and includes a system housing having an imaging window and containing a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations, for generating and projecting a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through the imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window, and producing digital images of objects passed through the 3D imaging volume.

Abstract: A method of and system for returning a consumer product in a retail environment and preventing or reducing employee theft of returned merchandise in retail store environments and providing greater accountability for returned merchandise in retail store environments. The method comprises providing an image capturing and processing system at the retail environment, including a system housing having an imaging window and generating and projecting a field of view through the imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window. The digital image capturing and processing system produces one or more digital images of consumer goods (i.e. products) passing within the 3D imaging volume. Identification (ID) data for the consumer returning the purchased goods is entered into a host system connected to the digital image capturing and processing system, as well as identification data for the employee to whom the goods are being returned.

Abstract: A digital image capturing and processing system for automatically recognizing objects in a POS environment. The system includes a system housing having an imaging window; illumination and imaging stations for generating and projecting illumination and imaging planes or zones through the imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window, for digital imaging an object passing through the 3D imaging volume, and generating digital linear images of the object as the object intersects the illumination and imaging planes or zones during system operation. A digital image processor processes the digital images and automatically recognizes the object, such as produce and fruit, graphically represented by the digital images.

Abstract: A laser beam generation system having an integrated coherence reduction mechanism. The system includes: a flexible circuit having a first end portion and a second end portion; a laser diode mounted on the first end portion of the flexible circuit, for producing a laser beam having a central characteristic wavelength; diode current drive circuitry for producing a diode drive current to drive the laser diode and produce said laser beam; and high frequency modulation (HFM) circuitry also mounted on the first end portion of the flexible circuit, for modulating the diode drive current at a sufficiently high frequency to cause the laser diode to produce a laser beam having a spectral side-band components about the central characteristic wavelength, and thereby reducing the coherence as well as coherence length of the laser beam.

Abstract: A laser illumination beam generation system including a laser diode (LD) for producing a laser beam in response to a diode current supplied thereto, wherein the laser beam has a central characteristic wavelength. Diode current drive circuitry generates the diode current and supplies the same to the VLD. A high frequency modulation (HFM) circuitry modulates the diode current supplied to the laser diode, so as to produce a spectral side-band components about the central characteristic wavelength, and thereby reduces the coherence of the laser illumination beam as well as its coherence length. An optical multiplexing (OMUX) device receives the laser beam as an input beam and generates multiple laser beams therefrom and recombines the multiple laser beams so as to produce a composite output laser illumination beam having reduce coherence.

Abstract: A planar laser illumination module (PLIM) including: (i) a laser illumination source driven preferably by high frequency modulated (HFM) diode current drive circuitry; (ii) a beam collimating optics disposed beyond the laser illumination source; (ii) an optical beam multiplexer (OMUX) device disposed beyond the collimating optics; and (iv) a planarizing-type illumination lens array disposed beyond the OMUX device, and arranged for generating a plurality of substantially planar coherence-reduced laser illumination beams (PLIBs) that form a composite substantially planar laser illumination beam (PLIB) having substantially reduced spatial/temporal coherence.

Abstract: A digital image capturing and processing system including a system housing having an imaging window; illumination and imaging stations for generating and projecting illumination and imaging planes or zones through the imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window, for digital imaging an object passing through the 3D imaging volume, and generating digital linear images of the object as the object intersects the illumination and imaging planes or zones during system operation. A digital image processor processes the digital images and automatically recognizes graphical intelligence (e.g. bar code symbols, alphanumeric characters etc) graphically represented in the digital images.

Abstract: A method of driving a plurality of visible and invisible laser diodes so as to produce an illumination beam having a dynamically managed ratio of visible to invisible (IR) spectral energy/power during object illumination and imaging operations. The method involves supplying a plurality of visible laser and invisible laser diodes with a predetermined/default values of diode drive currents so as to illuminate the object with a spectral mixture of illumination during object illumination and imaging operations. One or more digital images of the illuminated object are captured and the image contrast quality thereof is measured, in real-time, so as to generate feedback or control data.

Abstract: A laser beam despeckling device including a laser diode for producing a laser beam having a central characteristic wavelength. The device includes diode current drive circuitry for producing a diode drive current to drive said laser diode and produce said laser beam. High frequency modulation (HFM) circuitry modulates the diode drive current at a sufficiently high frequency to cause said laser diode to produce spectral side-band components about the central characteristic wavelength, and reducing the coherence as well as coherence length of the laser beam. An optical beam multiplexing (OMUX) module is provided for receiving the laser beam as input beam, a generating as output, a plurality of laser beam components that are recombined to produce a composite laser beam having substantially reduced coherence for use in illumination applications where a substantial reduction in speckle pattern noise is achieved.